


Going once, Going twice

by apisa_b



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Charity Auctions, F/M, First Dates, Food, Freeform, Out of Character, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-18 04:58:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18113759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apisa_b/pseuds/apisa_b
Summary: Against better judgment Rey let herself be persuaded to participate in a charity date auction. Having to compete against Coruscant's most eligible singles like Ben Solo, the infamous playboy every woman dreamed of taming, or Instagram star Bazine Netal, she ended up feeling very self conscious.At the end of the evening Rey is left to wonder about the identity of the mysterious Kylo Ren, who has outbid everyone for a date with her.





	1. The Auction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PalenDrome (nerdherderette)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdherderette/gifts).



> Dear PalenDrome (nerdherderette),  
> Browsing through the prompts of the [RFFA "After the Blazing Fire Dies" fic exchange](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18113759/chapters/42821726), one of your prompts inspired me:
> 
> _Rey hates the idea of a charity date auction. And it was only because it was for such a good cause that she even agreed to participate in the damned thing in the first place. But she should have listened to her gut because when the gavel goes down, the person with the winning paddle is none other than First Order’s notorious playboy, Ben Solo._
> 
> Initially I wanted to write a short treat with this prompt, but the story got away from me, and real life interfered, so it took me until now to finish it.  
> Thank you for your inspiring prompt. I enjoyed playing with it very much.

Rey unlocked her phone and noticed she’d missed five calls from Rose. She really couldn’t fathom what possibly could be so urgent, as they’d had brunch together this morning, and Rose knew Rey had work to do in the afternoon. Her thumb hovered over the display and she contemplated whether she should call back now or later, after she’d had something to eat, when the screen lit up with another incoming call from her friend.

“Hey girl, what’s up?” she said questioningly, and maybe a tad impatient.

“Rey, you have to help me. You’re literally my only hope.” Rose sounded desperate.

“What happened?”

“You remember the charity auction Finn and I are in charge of organizing? Of course you do. You contributed those beautiful necklaces. But do you remember the date auction part of it?”

“Yes –,” Rey answered warily.

“I need you to you fill in for Paige. She can’t make it that day.”

“No way. Rose, you know I’d do nearly everything for you, but not that!”

“Please! Rey-Bae?”

“It’s crazy, Rose!”

“Of course it is! But it’s also exciting! And it’s for charity! It’s such a great opportunity to raise money for children.”

“Yes, I know, but who would bid for me anyway? I’ve read whom you have on your list, and I’m going to look like a fool standing on stage next to Bazine Netal, Jess Pava or Kaydel Connix. I mean, those are IT girls, Instagram stars, a model and an actress. Prices for them will go through the roof. And then there would be boring old me, and people would just think ‘Who the hell is she?’ and I would be lucky to even get a bid for the opening price, and –”

“Rey, please. I can’t think of anyone else who would be able to fill in on such a short notice.” Rose whined. “You are perfect for that auction. Why do you even think nobody would bid on you? And -”

“Do you even know me?” Rey asked  jokingly, but Rose continued as if she hadn’t said a word.

“– besides, it’s a silent auction. So no awkwardly standing around on stage while the MC tries to raise the bids.”

“I have nothing to wear!” Rey threw in what she thought was her trump card.

“Oh, that’s no problem. Paige will lend you one of her dresses. The one I have in mind even matches the necklace you were working on last week. It would be a perfect opportunity to self-advertise.”

Rey groaned.

“Rey, think about the children! About how much good could be done with the money you are going to raise.”

“You’re evil, Rose!”

“Is that a yes?”

“No, it’s a I’ll think about it.”

“Finn, she said she’ll do it!” Rey heard Rose shout, before the connection went dead.

Of course Finn and Rose managed to wear her down. In the end Rey agreed to participate in the charity auction, just so they would finally shut up and she could continue to work on her latest line of jewelry in peace. Whenever she questioned the wisdom of this decision, she consoled herself that it at least was for a good cause. She was going to help raise money for underprivileged children; money, which would make many a kid’s upbringing so much safer and easier than her own had been.

 

That is how Rey found herself on stage, wearing a beautiful borrowed dress in a shade of green that really let her eyes shine, standing in a line with the other bachelors and bachelorettes who had volunteered to be part of the charity auction. Blinded by the spotlights illuminating the stage, she listened as the MC – Poe Dameron, Rose’s and Finn’s very charming work colleague – presented the participants. As if Bazine Netal, a self-proclaimed Instagram influencer and IT girl; or Kaydel Connix, lingerie model and party girl with a cult-like Instagram and Facebook following; or Jess Pava, the very attractive actress at Coruscant’s theatre, who currently made headlines with her performance as Ophelia, even needed to be introduced.

“And now ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you a real ladies’ man, heck a man’s man, the man about town, the one and only - Ben Solo,” Rey heard Poe announce.

Rey had tried not to think about the fact that he would be here as well. Ben Solo, son of car race legend Han Solo and former mayor Leia Organa. Not to forget he was the nephew of Luke Skywalker, who incidentally was Rose’s and Finn’s boss and ran the event planning company responsible for organizing this charity auction, and most likely the reason why Solo had even agreed to participate in the auction. Ben Solo, who was a known hedonist and playboy, who frequently spiced up society columns with his many and ever-changing affairs and managed to be one of the most successful lawyers in Coruscant. Ben Solo, who starred in Rey’s daydreams on a regular basis – not that she ever would admit to it. Ben Solo, who was perhaps the most beautiful man Rey had ever laid eyes upon, if a man should be called beautiful. Standing at 6’3” he easily towered over most people in attendance. Not only did his height draw everyone’s looks, but also his broad, muscular frame, emphasized by the form-fitting shirt he wore, his long dark locks and his very interesting face. Strictly speaking his features were a bit off. His face was a tad too long, lips too plush to be called manly, but in combination with a rather aquiline nose, wonderful expressive brown eyes and the beauty marks dotting his skin, his face could only be called handsome. Even when he was sporting a goatee, like today, it didn’t make him look ridiculously hipster-like, but it only enhanced his appeal. Rey had met him once, nearly 10 years ago, when he accompanied his mother, the mayor, on a visitation of the group home she had been living at. Back then he had not yet grown into his features and had worn his hair short, which had his ears stick out in the most endearing way – and young Rey’s heart had been a goner upon noticing his awkward appearance. From there on she had followed every mention of him in the local papers, only to be very dismayed with how frequently he started to appear in the society columns with ever rotating - and interchangeable - women adorning his arm. The many pictures prevented her latent crush on him from waning, as they provided constant material for her daydreams - and nighttime fantasies.

“Ladies, you better open your checkbook, for you never know, maybe that date with you might make him go _down with love_!” Poe finished with a wink. Rey inwardly groaned at the bad reference most likely nobody understood; Ewan McGregor starring in a movie didn’t automatically make it quote-worthy.

Ben Solo took a step back into the line and turned his head in her direction with a pained expression on his face. When his eyes found her, his lips quirked up in his famous crooked smile, and he mouthed ‘Good luck’ to her. Rey blinked and wondered whether she was hallucinating, for it definitely was not a daily occurrence for her to have her celebrity crush standing on a stage with her, and even acknowledge her by wishing her well. She was so lost in thought that she nearly missed her turn to step forward.

“Gentlemen, now listen good. This lady is not only stunning –“ Rey had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. ‘ _Poe, please, who are you kidding?_ ’ With her boring brown hair, wide forehead and pixie-ish face she could be called cute on a good day, and Rey was quite sure no man would look twice at her athletic, almost boyish, figure next to a curvy beauty like Bazine or a long-limbed gazelle like Kaydel.

“– but she is also very talented! Notice that necklace and the earrings she is wearing? She designed and made them herself! Make sure you go and bid on the pieces of her collection she donated to this auction, to enhance the chance of being at least able to take a piece she designed home, should you not be the lucky winner of a date with her.”

Rey tried to smile and wave, as she saw the other participants do, but she was sure she looked ridiculous doing it. Her cheeks were warm, her face surely was flushed and blotchy, and the forced smile probably looked like a grimace. She hoped that at least her jewelry line would get good advertising out of these minutes of endless humiliation.

As soon as Poe had finished introducing everybody, and they were allowed to leave the stage, Rey made a beeline for the refreshments table. She desperately needed something to drink – and something to hold onto, for she was supposed to mingle and solicit bids; she needed something to occupy her hands with, or she would be waving them in the face of everybody she talked to. She quickly gulped down a tall glass of water before she reached for a flute filled with champagne, but then her hands collided with the fingers of someone reaching for the same glass. Rey’s hand jerked back, as if hit by an electric current, and she whipped her head around, and found herself staring at a dark clad, wide and distinctly male chest.

“I’m sorry!” she exclaimed.

“No, no, please excuse me,” a deep voice answered her. “Here, take it.”

Rey vigorously shook her head, and formed a voiceless “No,” with her lips, as her ability to speak seemed to have left the building when she noticed who was handing her the last flute of champagne.

“I insist,” he said and smiled down on her with the same crooked smile that had caught her attention together with his endearing ears all those years ago, and made her search for it in every picture of him she stumbled upon. “I’m Ben, by the way.”

“I know,” she squeaked, then cleared her throat. “I’m Rey.”

“I know,” he deadpanned. “I was looking at your necklaces before the auction, and they are all very pretty, but the one you are wearing is really stunning. It really compliments your beauty.”

He lifted his hand to her throat and let his fingers trail over the stones of the necklace, an assortment of gemstones set on intertwined wires of sterling silver. When his fingers brushed her skin, she snapped out of the trance-like state she had been in since they accidentally brushed hands over the champagne flute, and suddenly she felt indignation. Who did he think she was? Just a naive girl, who would sink into his arms without resistance because he deigned to grace her with his attention? Or was he amusing himself by flirting with the wallflower of the event? She could picture him laughing with some of his friends, telling them how she foolishly believed he could be interested in a mousy girl like her. She deserved better than that; better than being a pity flirt, or whatever he thought he was doing here with her. Rey took a deep breath, lifted her chin,  stepped back, and shrouded herself in the indignation she felt.

“It’s part of my latest jewelry line. If you are interested in acquiring something from that line for one of your –” she made significant pause here and tried to lift her eyebrow meaningfully, “– friends, you are welcome to browse my online store. Or we could arrange a meeting at my workshop, where I can incorporate something special to make it a more personalized gift,” she said in a cool, yet businesslike tone; at least that was the effect she was aiming for.

Having said this, Rey nodded and smiled briefly, stepped around him and took a glass from one of the freshly arrived trays with drinks. She tried to not read too much into the flicker of emotion she saw shadowing his expressive eyes, which suspiciously looked like hurt.

Mingling was hard on her. Sure, she could be bubbly, witty and outgoing once she knew someone, but the getting to know people was hard for her, as she never mastered the art of making meaningless conversation with people she didn’t know. Rey had no idea how to even begin to approach one of the small groups of guests clustering together, introduce herself and appear interesting enough for someone to actually want to make bid for a date with her. She desperately let her eyes wander around the room, praying to find Rose or Finn so she could join them, but she had no luck.

“It can be overwhelming, can’t it?” she heard a gravelly voice say next to her.

“Yes, it can. I don’t even know where to start,” Rey answered, appraising the man.

“You get used to it after a while. At least I did, although I always have to steel myself before I throw myself in the lion’s den once again. I’m Han,” he said and held out his hand to her.

“Rey,” she offered, as she took his hand. “But parties and racing belong together. So weren’t they basically part of your job?”

“Yeah, the part I didn’t like, but had to get used to nonetheless. I loved the racing and enjoyed good booze, but would have preferred to have the latter in peace with just a few real friends, not with a gaggle of asskissers in my shadow. That’s what you get when you don’t read the fine print on the employment contract,” he winked at her.

“Good thing I’m self-employed then. But should I ever have to seek employment somewhere, I’ll make sure to find the party clause in the contract.”

“You better do that, kid, as you don’t seem to be the party-hard kind of girl. But with your talent I don’t think you ever would have to worry about that. Need help working the room?”

“Am I that obvious?”

“Only to someone who has walked the same scary path once. Come on, I’ll introduce you to my princess. She’s been fawning over your collection since she got here,” Han Solo consoled her and leaned down to offer her his arm. Rey smiled up at him, and took in his features. He was tall, although not as tall as his son, and didn’t have his broad fame, but was built wirier; she recognized the nose and long face – and the same charmingly crooked grin.

“That would be very nice of you, thank you,” she said and took his arm with a graceful curtsy, which made him playfully bow to her in return.

True to his word, he introduced her to his wife Leia Organa and her group, who were all very interested in her work and asked where she’d learned her craft. Rey told them the tamed version of it, that her guardian passed on his knowledge to her and that they worked together until she had aged out of the system. Finn and Rose were the only ones who knew the truth about her guardian having forced her to dismantle stolen necklaces and create new ones out of the stones, until she managed to get away from him.

From there on, the evening passed by in a blur. Friends of Leia wanted to introduce her to their sons, nephews or other relatives and acquaintances, and she found herself being dragged from group to group. Whenever she felt herself drifting, Han appeared at her side and introduced her to new people. The only constant in this sea of ever-changing faces and names was that whenever she happened to see Ben Solo, his eyes were trained on her. At first she’d thought she was imagining things. Why would he watch her, when around him was a gaggle of beautiful women, who all vied for his attention by batting their eyelashes, tossing their hair or gracing his arm with fleeting touches? Throughout the evening, whenever Rey would get that tingling in her neck she always felt when she thought someone was staring at her, and she looked around, she noticed his gaze on her, dark and intent – and this confused her to no end.

 

By the time Poe called for the final bids, Rey was being talked to by a tall man with red hair, who invaded her personal space entirely too much for her to feel comfortable. She repeatedly stepped back, but he kept coming closer again and again. He could have been handsome, Rey thought, if only he would smile more, but instead his face was set in a near constant expression of disdain, and he continued to rattle on about his successes in the courtroom, despite Rey’s frequent attempts to change the subject. Of all the people she had met this evening, he was the most disagreeable one, and she decided that she would refuse to go out on a date with him, no matter how high the bid. Thankfully they had been given the option to bow out of the dates. The winner of the bid then would get the voucher for whatever restaurant or event was tied to the date with her.  

“Hux, a word please.” Rey was pulled out of her thoughts by Ben Solo’s deep baritone, his voice devoid of any friendliness. Rey looked up at him in surprise. He stared at Hux coldly and worked his jaw.

“What is it, Solo?” the red-haired bore replied irritably. “I really don’t have time for your dramatics right now. I’m busy.”

“Too busy even for Snoke?” Ben sneered, and Hux’s already pale face blanched further. “You’d better check your phone.”

At that Hux quickly excused himself and hurriedly walked away, scrolling through his messages.

“Ready to face the music?” Ben Solo turned to Rey and vaguely gestured towards the stage. “I think it is time for us to learn who has won an evening with us.”

Rey looked up to where Poe was tapping on the microphone to test whether it was turned on.

“You’re right,” she said and they started to walk across the room side by side. “Was Hux really needed, or was that a ruse?” she asked curiously.

“You looked very uncomfortable, and I can relate. I work with him and know how boring he can be.”

“Thank you, I guess? But won’t he be mad when he finds out that you lied?”

“Trust me, he will find a message from our boss at his phone, I’m sure of that. As would I, if I checked mine right now. There are always urgent messages from our boss.” His lips quirked downward.

Meanwhile they had reached the room where all the candidates for the auction were supposed to gather before entering the stage together. Ben smiled briefly at her, and then turned to take his place in line.

Once they were up on the stage, Rey started to become nervous again. She could hear the laughter of the crowd over the MC’s words, louder now than it was in the beginning, as alcohol had loosened tongues and lowered barriers in the time that has passed. Dimly she registered that the amount of money bid on a date with them would not be announced. This relieved some of the anxiety felt, for she would be spared the embarrassment of having the lowest bid. She just hoped anybody had bid on a date with her at all.

Poe called the bachelors and bachelorettes in the same order he had introduced them, chatted a bit with them, and then announced who placed the highest bid on the date with them. The bidder then came up on stage to stand beside their prospective dates. Rey eyed them suspiciously, with a heavy feeling growing in her stomach. Sure, there were nice looking young people among the bidders, but Kaydel had to go on a date with an elderly man, who looked at her as if he wanted to devour her right on the spot. Rey took deep breaths and tried to calm down, telling herself that she always had the option of bowing out of the date if push came to shove, when Poe called Ben Solo forward.

“Going on a date with Ben Solo will be,” Poe called in his best MC voice, and made a pause for dramatic effect. “– Leia Organa!”

Rey heard shouts of “What!” and “No way!” from the audience, and then Leia’s raspy laughter, as she climbed on stage and waved.

“Sometimes a mother must take drastic actions to get to go and have dinner with her son,” she said jokingly, but the way her eyes darted up to her son’s, Rey got the feeling that some time might have passed since the two of them had spent some quality time together.

When it was her turn to step forward, Poe must have sensed her nervousness and dread, for he put his arm around her shoulder and asked her, whether she was nervous.

“Not just nervous,” she answered with a nervous laugh. “Terrified. I’ve never done this before.”

“Don’t worry,” Poe consoled her, “just think what a wonderful story you will have to tell your grandchildren, if it actually were Mr. Right who’s about to go on a date with you to the _Palazzo_.”

Rey heard whistles and whooping from the audience, and then Poe continued.

“The lucky man going on a date with our Rey is ... Mr. Kylo Ren!”

Rey furrowed her brow and tried to remember if she met someone with that name, but came up empty. When nobody came forward after Poe had called the name a second time, and Rey noticed that people down in the audience had started to laugh and whisper, tears welled up in her eyes and her cheeks burned with shame.

“I know Kylo Ren,” Rey heard Leia call. “He had to leave earlier, but I can vouch for him.”

Rey’s head whipped around to Leia, as did Ben’s.

“You can?” Rey heard Ben ask his mother. Leia glanced up to him and nodded.

“He is a very nice young man, and Rey doesn’t have to be worried at all. In fact, I’m sure she is going to like him.”

 

“You don’t have to do this, peanut,” Finn told her for the umpteenth time as she sat in a quiet room behind the stage and tried to calm down. Through the closed door she heard music, laughter and the buzzing of many voices mixed together.

“I know. You’ve already said that. But Mrs. Organa vouched for him, and I feel like I should trust her judgment on this.”

Rey looked up to Rose and Finn, who sat next to her, and were holding her hands, and then her eyes fell on Luke Skywalker, who leaned against a desk and did not look happy at all.

“I don’t agree with my sister. I wouldn’t vouch for him,” he said.

“So, you know him?” Rose asked him.

“You could say that, yes.”

“And you don’t like him? Why?”

“My reasons are my own, but I’d advise Rey to be very cautious with this man.”

“You heard Luke. You can bow out of this,” Finn urged her.

“I felt as if I’d be cheating if I did. If I knew he were that redhead that chatted me up out there, I totally would bow out, but his name was different.”

“Kylo Ren is not his real name. I think you should know that,” Luke told her.

“So, he could be that redhead?” Rey looked at him, searching for reassurance in his face.

“No, he’s not that weasel Hux, don’t worry.”

Rey nodded and took a deep breath. Apart from Hux she hadn’t met anyone at the auction she thought she couldn’t bear spending an evening with.

“I’m going to do it,” she stated, at which Rose beamed, Finn buried his face in his hands and Luke looked even grimmer than before.


	2. Date night - part one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey met the mysterious Kylo Ren at Maz's Palazzo, and learned his true identity. She had to realize that not everything was what it seemed.

The days following the auction were busy for Rey. Apparently Bazine Netal had snatched up one of her necklaces at the auction, and posted a picture of her wearing it on Instagram, complete with a link to Rey’s website. A lot of people had contacted Rey with requests for similar items since then, and an astounding amount of orders actually resulted from those contacts. Han Solo and Leia Organa visited her in her workshop and looked at matching earrings for the necklace Han had purchased for Leia at the auction, and instructed Rey to raise the price on her designs.

“You’re hot right now – make the most of it. This is your chance to increase your market value,” they advised her, and Rey subsequently sat down and recalculated the cost for the materials and the hours she worked on her pieces. She buckled down and worked very hard to fulfill the many orders she got. Most days she was too exhausted to even think about the looming date with the mysterious Kylo Ren, or the fact that he hadn’t contacted her yet. Rose told her in confidence that the sum he’d bid for a date with her – a rather large one in fact, apparently the second highest bid of the evening - had already been paid, and the vouchers for the dinner at Maz’s Palazzo, a rather upscale restaurant owned by the eccentric Maz Kanata, was sent to a P.O. box. But so far, Rey hadn’t heard from him.

That changed 10 days after the auction, on Valentine’s Day, when a knock at the door of her workshop startled her and nearly made her drop the garnet she was trying to set. Someone sent her a bouquet of long stemmed red, orange and yellow roses. Rey had never before received flowers from anybody, much less on Valentine’s Day, and so she was really surprised and more than a little overwhelmed. Her hands shook as she searched for a card to indicate who the flowers were from.

 

 _Dear Rey,_  
_I was very glad to learn that you are willing to go on a date with me, despite not knowing who I am._  
_Thank you for giving me the chance to spend an evening in your company._  
_I hope next Saturday at 8 pm works for you._  
_Yours,_  
_Kylo_

 

At first Rey stared uncomprehending at the words, penned in a beautiful cursive script. He sent her flowers and wanted to get to know her, but how were they supposed to do that, when he didn’t reveal his identity to her? When she turned the card, searching for clues, she found a combination of numbers written in the bottom left corner, which looked suspiciously like a local area phone number. Did he expect her to call? To text? Gods, she wished she was more experienced in that regard, but she never had much of a romantic life, and didn’t really know what the protocol in these situations was .

After setting the flowers in a vase on her table, she sat down for a couple of minutes, just looking at her phone, before she finally started typing.

 

_Thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful._ _  
_ _Rey_

 

Rey put her phone down and stood to return to her workshop, when it pinged.

 

 _Just like you._ _  
_ _Kylo_

 

So the numbers were his phone number; Rey blinked. Was this really happening?

 

_There’s no need to flatter me. I’ve already agreed to_ _go on a date with you.  
    _ _Next Saturday works for me._

 

Of course it worked for her. She had no social life to speak of, aside from the occasional pub nights with Finn and Rose.

 

 _It’s not flattery when it’s true._  
_Good._ _  
Should I pick you up?_

 

Rey briefly contemplated his offer. Maz’s Palazzo was on the other side of town, but as she didn’t know him, sharing a ride with him didn’t sit right with her.

 

_No thanks, I’ll meet you there._

 

Suddenly Rey realized, that it was only two days until the date, and she needed something nice to wear. Paige, Rose’s sister probably could lend her something again, but Rey felt that with the upswing in business since the auction, she probably needed some new pieces anyway. Lots of people had asked her to showcase items for them in their houses, and in order to be taken seriously she probably should wear something more professional than skinny jeans and high tops.

Rey spent the whole of Saturday afternoon going through the new outfits Rose had helped her purchase. She was the first to admit that she didn’t have any fashion sense at all – who gave a damn about fashion, when you have to worry about where your next meal will come from? – and Rose had wanted to spruce up her wardrobe for ages, so she jumped at the occasion of going shopping with Rey. Of course, Rey’s budget was limited, so they mostly browsed through second hand stores, but they nabbed some good pieces. Rose had managed to talk her into buying three dresses and two skirts, which would go nicely with some of the tops already in her wardrobe. But the nearer her date loomed, the less Rey thought any of those outfits were suitable for a date with a man she didn’t know. Weren’t all those dresses and skirts too short? Wouldn’t all that exposed skin on her legs send him the wrong message? In the end Rose had managed to talk her down from a wardrobe related panic attack over the phone, and persuaded her to wear the light blue sleeveless sheath dress Rey really had been excited about when she tried it on during their shopping trip – and to apply at least some mascara and lipstick.

 

Taking the bus and walking the distance from the bus stop to Maz’s Palazzo in heels she wasn’t used to wearing at all, might not have been the best idea. ‘How did models manage to wear heels all day long?’ Rey wondered. Hers weren’t even all that high, they were just kitten heels, but in comparison to her trusted high tops or the flats she usually wore, they seemed unstable and uncomfortable. She breathed a sigh of relief when she arrived at the restaurant a couple of minutes early. A small elderly woman with huge glasses asked her for her reservation.

“I’m Rey –” she started to say, but the woman interrupted her.

“Of course you are.” She motioned for someone to relieve Rey of her coat. “I’m Maz, please follow me.”

With a flick of her wrist she beckoned Rey to follow her into a secluded corner of the restaurant, where a table for two was set with a rose placed before the seat reserved for her.

“He was already here an hour ago to make sure everything was set to his liking.”

“Oh, I’m sorry?” Rey offered, not really sure what to say.

“Oh no, don’t be. It’s sweet to see him so nervous about dining with someone. It’s a first, I’d say,” Maz chuckled.

“I actually have no idea who he is. I’m a bit nervous.”

“There’s no need to be nervous,” Maz consoled her, and patted her arm. “He’s a nice lad. A bit cocky perhaps, but not a bad egg. Give him the benefit of the doubt, will you?”

Rey knotted her eyebrows together and cocked her head. What a funny thing to say.

“Ah, here he comes,” Maz said, and jerked her chin in the direction of the entrance.

Rey took a deep, steadying breath and slowly turned to look at the man who had apparently bid a substantial sum for a date with her – and when she recognised him, she couldn’t suppress the angry huff that escaped her lips. None other than Ben Solo was walking toward her and eyeing her apprehensively.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” Maz offered, looking up to her. “Let him explain. I’ll be with you in a couple of minutes,” she said and sauntered off, giving Ben Solo an encouraging pat on the arm when she passed him.

Recalling the humiliation she’d felt standing on that stage when her bidder had not stepped forward, Rey pressed her lips in a thin line and flared her nostrils. Her instincts told her to just walk off, but the thought of a prepaid meal at this place going to waste, compelled her to stay. Plus, she was curious about what he might have to say to explain his actions. So she waited, and addressed him in the iciest voice she could muster.

“Mr. Ren. What a pleasure to finally meet you.”

At least he had the good grace to wince at the tone she used.

“Rey.” A warm tingle spread through her when he took her hand in his. She suppressed the urge to look down to where they were touching, and kept her eyes trained on his face. “Please let me explain. I –” The hand not gripping hers was running through his hair.

“You?” Rey prompted after a couple of seconds. He closed his eyes for a moment and let go of her hand.

“Why don’t you sit down?” Ben moved closer and pulled out the chair for her.

“I haven’t decided whether I was going to stay.”

“Please,” he said rather forcefully, then rolled his lips in a unique way, and added much softer. “Please stay. Let me explain. “

After a moment’s hesitation Rey nodded and took a seat.

“So, who is Kylo Ren?” she asked when Ben settled into his place across from her.

“The main protagonist in the novel – and I use this term loosely – I’ve written to work through my adolescent angst. And yes, my mother obviously knows about him. I discussed scenes with her from time to time,” Ben explained and lifted his eyes from where they were resting on table up to her face and licked his lips nervously.

“I didn’t –” he started, ran his hand through his hair again, and gulped. “I hadn’t thought this through. I thought you wouldn’t accept me as your date, and so I placed the bid under a false name. I only realized the ramifications of that when I watched your distress when nobody stepped forward. I’m very sorry for that.”

“Your mother saved the day.”

“Yeah, and I’m eternally grateful for that.”

“You seemed surprised when she vouched for Kylo.”

“I was,” he chuckled. “Surprised that she remembered the name. And equally surprised that she was willing to vouch for me. I’m not exactly a model son after all.”

“Apparently,” Rey nodded. “Considering she had to bid for you to spend an evening with her. How did that go?”

“Surprisingly well. A lot of talking happened – which is good. We had a lot of things to work through.”

Ben looked down again and took a sip from the glass of water Maz had already poured. The gesture drew Rey’s attention to his hand. Of course he had to have nice hands as well; large, strong looking hands with thick fingers, unadorned by rings. Hands which probably could span her midriff. Rey tried to find something to say, in order divert her attention from where her thoughts were straying.

“Why did you think I wouldn’t have accepted a date with you?” she finally blurted out.

He smiled wistfully.

“You gave me quite the dressing, when we first spoke. And after that you always scowled at me. Based on that I really wasn’t sure you’d agree to go out with me.”

“I never scowled at you,” Rey protested.

“You did.”

“No, I was just confused. I couldn’t fathom why you were always looking at me.”

“Who else would I have looked at?”

“Well, at all those beautiful women trying to get your attention, for instance.”

“Were they? I hadn’t noticed. From the moment you stepped into that room you were the only woman I saw. You were radiant like the sun, and I couldn’t look away. I wanted to bask in your warmth, but –” he took a deep breath and looked at her with an intensity that made a shiver running down her spine. She wasn’t used to having someone’s attention directed solely at her, much less someone with Ben Solo’s intensity. He regarded her like she mattered, like her being here with him was important to him.

“But?” Rey prompted him.

“But of course, I had to screw up our first encounter. My social skills are nonexistent, I fear. I must have said something to offend you without even realizing it. Normally people tend to overlook it when I put my foot in my mouth because of who my parents are, or nowadays because they want something from me … but you didn’t.”

They were interrupted when Maz, who suddenly appeared next to Rey with a bottle of wine and two plates, each decorated with a single bite sized hors d’oevre, cleared her throat.

“As an amuse-bouche we serve you potato nests with avocado and smoked salmon, accompanied by a Dry Riesling from Austria,” she explained as she placed the plates in front of them and started to pour the wine. “Enjoy.”

Rey appraised the small dish and fervently hoped that not every course would be this small, for her appetite was legendary among her friends.

“Uhm … what did she call this?” Rey asked and looked up Ben again. “I’ve never been to this sort of restaurant. I –”

“It’s called an amuse-bouche, a ‘mouth amuser’. It’s not part of the courses they’re going to serve us, but should prepare our palates for what’s to come. You can pick it up with your fingers; it’s just one bite after all,” Ben explained and picked up the artful creation. “Try to savor it with a sip of wine. The wine’s meant to compliment the taste.”

Rey’s eyes lingered on Ben’s hand, marveling at how his hands made the appetizer look even smaller than it was, but she blinked and quickly looked away when he popped the bite into his mouth. Somehow the sight made her feel uncomfortably hot.

Following his example, Rey sampled the ‘mouth amuser’ and closed her eyes. The salmon tasted nothing like the one she’d had on New Year’s Eve at Finn’s party; it was simply divine. After she’d swallowed, she followed Ben’s example and let a sip of wine wash over her taste buds – and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Yeah, that’s something, right?” Ben smiled, watching her intently.

“I think I might be spoiled for other food now. That was delicious!”

“Maybe we should have a look at what the chef has put together for us this evening,” Ben suggested and handed her the menu. When Rey accepted the date, she had been asked about food allergies or diet restrictions for the restaurant to take into consideration in preparation of the multi-course meal. Rey had named none, since thankfully she had no allergies and had not come across any food she wouldn’t eat so far.

While she scanned the lovingly decorated printout, Rey nibbled on her lower lip.

“Would you think I was a complete heathen if I admitted that I’ve never heard of half of the things listed here?” she asked timidly.

Ben lifted his eyes to her. “What? No, of course not! To be honest, you’re making me rediscover things I’ve taken for granted through your eyes.,” he was quick to assure her. “It’s been a while since I’ve really taken the time to savor the taste of something.”

Rey pressed her lips together, and nodded.

“What did you mean earlier, when you said your social skills were … lacking? They aren’t. How could they be? You are used to – “she made a circle-like motion with her hand, “this. You appear at all those big events …”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I have any clue how to act around people. Like I said, people tend to put up with my antics because of who I am … of who my parents are, but I’ve never really fit in.” His eyes lost his focus on her, and he took a deep breath. “As a child I was lonely. My parents were both caught up in their respective careers and the obligations that came with those, and shy, little me was extremely unhappy when pulled into the spotlight, but at least while little, people thought I was cute. Later though, comments about me tended to be less flattering. Adolescence didn’t treat me well; I grew in spurts, and my body really needed time to adjust for the added height. I was clumsy and decidedly not a teenage heartthrob. In addition to this I started to develop anger issues.”

“Most teens do,” Rey interjected.

“Yeah well, but not to the degree I did. In time I learned to deal with them. I learned when and how to curb my anger, and when to use it as a useful tool.  I’ve never quite managed to overcome the awkwardness that developed during my teenage years, though.”

Rey lifted her eyebrows skeptically.

“No really, you should have seen me back then. I totally would have fit in with the geeks – except they didn’t want me, because I was too –“ he lifted his hands and air-quoted, “ _famous_. So I spent my time mostly alone. Not that I minded too much – at least that was what I told myself.”

“So what changed? How did lonely you become the _Man about Town_?”

“When one of the cheerleaders decided she wanted to have the son of a race car legend dangle from her arm at a party. Apparently, I was a good accessory, and my qualities seemed to grow with every one of her retellings. I heard I was a great kisser – never mind the fact that I had not even kissed a girl. I heard I was a smooth talker; and suddenly other popular girls started to ask me out – and that didn’t stop, despite me still being my awkward self and having had no clue how to handle myself around girls,” here Ben’s lips quirked up in a humorless smile. “And just like that I was part of the popular crowd. The girls asked me out, the boys hung around me because of the girls … and by the time I graduated I had gained a certain reputation. Although I hadn’t even done half the things people said I had done.”

“For example?” Rey smiled coyly, her chin resting on her hand.

“Well, I definitely had kissed girls by then, but nothing more. I hadn’t even dared to go to second base. But rumor had it I was caught in the act with two cheerleaders in the bleachers. Quite salacious. I wish I had been there.”

Rey fascinatedly watched Ben’s body language while he told her all this. The way he subconsciously let his hands run through his hair; how he ducked his head and looked up to her from under his lashes, a small self-deprecating smile playing around his lips. It was a very endearing sight.

“And my prom date swore an oath we shared a room at The Calrissian after the prom. Pity I can’t remember that part.”

“Wow, that must have been some night, if it left you with amnesia,” Rey quipped.

“Yeah. I seemed to have had that a lot; and altered memories. Because what I heard happened and what I remember happening never added up,” his tone was playful now, and he smiled teasingly, but his eyes regarded her intently.

“Very _Total Recall,_ ” Rey nodded. “Are you sure there weren’t any aliens at your school?”

“Well, actually –“

They were interrupted by the arrival of their first course. Rey glanced at the menu again, curious to know what it was she was going to eat. _Caviar Egg_ , she read, _an organic egg baked in the Viennese way on potato puree in champagne sauce with smoked herring caviar_.

“You said you don’t mind me pestering you about the food?” Rey tentatively asked.

“No, of course not. Shoot.”

“What exactly does _baked in the Viennese_ _way_ mean?”

“Something being covered in breadcrumbs and then baked. Not very healthy, I’m afraid, but delicious,” he explained, and started to eat.

Rey noted the way he cut the egg and scooped up some of the caviar and the champagne sauce onto it, and copied him. When the different flavors hit her palate, she closed her eyes and her lips curved into a slight smile. She let out an appreciative hum and noticed Ben staring at her intently, when she opened her eyes again.

“Don’t watch me eat. It’s making me even more self-conscious,” she demanded, and Ben cast his eyes down on his own plate and continued to eat, a slight blush staining his cheeks.

“It’s mesmerizing, the way you are able to enjoy the taste of the food, and it makes me feel so jaded.”

“I’ve never tasted anything like this. The spices, the combination of ingredients; it’s extraordinary.”

They continued to eat in companionable silence, both of them stealing glances at each other, and smiling when they got caught doing it.

“Tell the rest of the story,” Rey urged after their plates were cleared away.

“Which story do you mean?

“The transformation of awkward Ben to the playboy everybody knows.”

At this Ben tensed and pressed his lips together. Rey noticed how he balled the hand resting on the table into a fist, then he slowly let out a breath and relaxed.

“I’m aware how the way I lead my life must look, but I swear, I’m no playboy. It all continued much in the way it started. I accompanied mum to some of the events she was invited to, whenever dad didn’t feel like attending, and realized I liked the arts. Vernissages, watching an opera or a play – I really liked that. Soon I got invited on my own and not just as my mother’s plus one, and I started to bring the girls that approached me, to those events – because that still was a thing. Believe it or not, I was always asked out first.”

“Out of context that sounds rather conceited.”

“Yeah, I know how it sounds. And I’m fully aware that they didn’t really want to go out with me. They just wanted their 30 seconds of fame; having their photo in a paper with the son of someone famous. For a while that really hurt, even though I never developed feelings. How could I? It always became clear rather quickly we didn’t share many interests. Then there was a short time in which I was determined to get something out of it too, but it usually wasn’t very … satisfying. I quickly realized I needed more than just physical stimulation. I craved a meeting of minds, an emotional connection.”

Ben stared at the table while he told Rey this, and had  been nervously drawing patterns on the table cloth with his fingers, but now he looked up at her, almost beseechingly.

“But that never happened. So I started to ask friends to accompany me to events, when I didn’t want to go alone. Friends, who enjoyed the arts like I do, but their partners weren’t interested; or friends, who couldn’t own up to being in a committed relationship because of their respective careers,” Ben continued.

“I don’t quite understand how –” Rey’s brows were knitted in to a frown.

“For example, if you were a rising actress aiming to be cast as a romantic lead, being in a relationship might not please the parts of your fan base you simply cannot afford to alienate.”

“So, you are helping by pretending – to do what exactly?”

“Nothing really. People just assume. And as I have had no reason to care so far, I never contradicted anything that was being said. My boss encourages it, as long as our company and the latest high-profile case is mentioned along with my name; it’s  cheap publicity.” Ben shrugged his shoulders and tried to look unperturbed – but failed. Rey couldn’t help but lay her hand over his on the table.

“But it bothers you? That people talk and assume the worst?”

“Most people? No. But –“ a haunted look ghosted over Ben’s face. “– there are people I really wouldn’t want to assume the wrong things about me.” His eyes were trained on where their hands were joined on the table, and his thumb started to brush against Rey’s hand.

“I want to apologize,” Rey said softly.

“For what?”

“For assuming. I take it you really wanted to pay me a compliment at the auction. When we first met.”

“Yes, of course. Why … what did you think I was trying to do?”

“I honestly don’t know. I was so overwhelmed by everything, and then there was you, and I had this picture of you painted in my head, and I just thought you couldn’t mean it. That this was just an attempt to flirt with the wallflower –“

Ben’s eyes widened, and after a moment he turned his hand on the table, catching her fingers between his and pulling her hand up towards his face.

“The wallflower? Is that how you see yourself?”

Rey nodded, and then gasped when Ben placed a kiss on the knuckles of her left hand.

“You are beautiful, witty, intelligent – no need to feel shy at all,” Ben replied, still holding her hand. “Like I said, as soon as you entered the room, you were the only woman I wanted to talk to.”

Rey suddenly was hot, and practically felt the blush spreading on her face. The arrival of the soup gave her the break she needed to compose herself again. She concentrated on eating the soup, as the bright yellow color suggested that stains probably would be a pain to remove should she spill some of it on her clothes.

“Tell me something about yourself,” Ben asked after they spent a couple of minutes eating in silence.

“There’s nothing much to tell, I’m afraid,” Rey tried to deflect, but he wouldn’t have any of it.

“I’m sure that’s not true. How did you get interested in designing and manufacturing jewelry for instance?”

“Because of my foster father or guardian, although in reality none of those terms applied to him.”

“You’re an orphan?”

“Yes. No – I don’t know. My parents abandoned me in a park when I was only six years old, and they never were found, so I seriously don’t know. I always kept hoping they’d return. I couldn’t be adopted as long as there was a chance they’d be found, and by the time it became clear that wasn’t going to happen, I was passed over for younger children. So I bounced through a couple of group homes, until I landed with Mr. Plutt at the age of 12. He taught me the hard way. If I made a mistake, or the quality of my work was not up to his standards, I had to go without food.”

Rey noticed how Ben tensed at her words; with narrowed eyes and a balled fist he exuded anger - and danger. She understood that he was upset on her behalf and not at her, and the way Ben looked, Plutt would not have escaped unharmed, were he here at the moment. Her friends had been upset as well when she told them her story, but more in the “crying and hugging her” sense. Ben’s reaction was a more primal one, one that thrilled her, to be honest.

“After school I worked at his shop, setting stones and piecing together necklaces and earrings. I had barely enough time to do my homework and my grades were not the best because of that. Of course, doing any extracurricular activities to spruce up my college applications was out of the question as well. As soon as I could, I left; and that’s that.”

“Instead of protecting and nurturing you, which he was being paid to do, he put you to work and starved you?” Ben ground out, barely containing the anger her story had evoked in him. Rey had seen several facets of Ben now. He had been confident on the stage at the auction, insecure when he arrived at the restaurant today, endearing as he told her about how he got his image, and now he was angry – on her behalf. She instantly reached and held his hand again to placate him.

“I survived. And now I’m making a living because of what he taught me. Life got better.”

“The system failed you,” he stated in an even voice.

“In a way, yes. But like I said, I survived.”

To lighten the mood again, Rey continued with anecdotes about her first months in Coruscant, how she met Finn and Rose, and gradually Ben relaxed. His eyes softened again, and suddenly Rey noticed how their body postures mirrored each other, how Ben’s thumb traced patterns against her hand, how her body reacted to his presence. When the main course was served, Rey was sorry that she had to withdraw her hand to eat, just as Ben seemed reluctant to let it go.

In contrast to the last course, in which Rey had concentrated on eating in order to avoid looking at Ben, she now found her eyes being drawn to him frequently. She watched his hands dwarf the cutlery as he cut the veal chops, and then her eyes followed his hand up when he lifted the fork to his mouth, watched as his lips closed around it, and didn’t look away when his eyes found hers and held her gaze. Her tongue involuntarily darted out to lick her lower lip, which broke the spell, as his eyes were drawn down to her lips by that motion.

Rey had a hard time noticing what she ate. She’d never even had veal before, and it tasted fantastic, tender and well-seasoned, but the man sitting opposite of her drew her attention far more. Besides, she’d already had two courses and wasn’t really hungry anymore. _Well, not for food at least_. She chastised herself mentally. At the auction she had been more than ready to bite off his head for flirting with her, but today, halfway through their date she had to admit to herself that she felt attracted to him. She enjoyed his company, loved hearing his voice and seeing him smile. Rey had no idea how much time they had spent together this evening so far, but it had been enough for him to worm his way into her heart, and for her body to want things she hadn’t contemplated in a long time. This was happening far too fast.

“I feel it too.”

Rey didn’t even have to ask what he meant by that. She closed her eyes and drew a steadying breath before she tried to give the main course the attention it deserved once again.

“You uncle tried to discourage me from joining you today,” Rey commented after a couple of bites.

“That doesn’t surprise me at all.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“My uncle and I don’t see eye to eye. Where he’s calm and collected, I’m hot tempered. Not unlike mum. She always tried to understand my tantrums and mood swings, whereas Uncle Luke always chastised me for not exercising enough control over my emotions. Nowadays his main issue with me is my boss and the company I work for. Snoke and Luke have history, but neither of them talks about it, and I strongly suspect Snoke only offered me the job to get back at Luke.”

“Do you like your job?

“Yes and no. I’m good at what I do, and I firmly believe everyone deserves the best defense they can get. But I’m also aware that most of my clients are not exactly innocent,” Ben said, his fingers playing with the stem of his wine glass.

“Have you ever turned down a client because of that? Because you refused to defend him for what he did?”

“No. Snoke knows my moral limits, and has never given me cases I couldn’t handle with a clear conscience. Hux is usually tasked with the more … unsavory clientele. But Snoke’s running a tight ship, and is constantly breathing down my neck, always trying to interfere with the line of defense I’m taking in my cases.”

“So your job is the reason you aren’t close to your parents anymore?”

“They’re not happy with my decision to work for Snoke. They would have loved to see me in prosecution, and choosing to go into defense was a point of discontent between us. But their main issue is with the company I work for. Their constant nagging about it made me blow up at them a couple of times, and I felt it was better to keep my distance after that. Which was easy, given the hours I work.”

“Hence Leia had to bid for you at the auction.”

“Yeah. It was a bit drastic. But … we cleared the air. And I agreed to come to dinner on a regular basis from now on.”

“That’s good. She seems nice. I mean, I was introduced to her at the auction, and she’s become a client since then, but both your parents were so nice and welcoming to me.”

Ben only hummed in response, he looked as if he wanted to say something, but was holding it back for some reason, his expressive eyes guarded. Instead he started to tell her stories of the times Han took him to the racing track.

Rey had completely forgotten that dessert was still to come. She blinked down at the artful creation on her plate when it arrived, and laughed.

“I can’t,” she shook her head. “There’s no room left for dessert.”

“I’m sure there is. There’s always room for dessert,” Ben said, looking at her fondly.

“No, it’s impossible. Can’t be,” she said and patted her stomach.

At that Ben took his dessert spoon, scooped a filled date and some foam on it and held it tantalizingly in front of her mouth, leaning forward across the table. Rey looked up at him, and her lips parted slightly. Before that she had been aware of the growing attraction between them, the way their bodies mirrored each other, their hands and legs frequently brushed against each other; their lingering touches and the easy flow of conversation spoke volumes in itself. Now though, the atmosphere between them was suddenly charged with sexual tension, Ben’s eyes were darker than before as they roamed her face. She knew that her next actions would shape the reminder of this evening. Some of the lights had already been dimmed, so the candle on their table was not just a nice touch, but managed to cast a warm glow on their faces. Rey exhaled and then leaned forward ever so slightly, wrapping her lips around the spoon to accept his offering, while she gauged Ben’s reaction. His eyes, fixated on her mouth, fluttered shut and he pressed his lips together, clearly affected. Rey on her part blushed, and her private parts clenched and tingled. She had no idea what she was eating, and she couldn’t have cared less. The only thing that mattered right now was the look on Ben’s face.

“See, dessert is always possible,” Ben drawled, his voice deeper and rougher than normal.

“I see what you mean,” Rey smiled playfully and nibbled on her lower lip, before she took up her own dessert spoon.

How the both of them even managed to get through the course without drifting into indecent behavior right there remained a mystery. Both of them were fixated on the other one’s lips curling around the spoon and mesmerized by tongues darting out to lick foam or ice cream off. Heat bloomed not only on their faces, but - at least in Rey’s case -  low in her belly as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shoutout to MissCoppelia, who betaed this for me. You are the best!


	3. Date night - part two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben made sure Rey got home safely after their date, and things might have become a bit ... heated.

When they finally decided to leave, they were the last guests at the Palazzo. Maz herself accompanied them to the door, and chatted with them for a while, a knowing look in her eyes. Rey suspected their mutual attraction had been rather obvious, and even now, after having helped her into her coat, Ben continued to stand close to her and let his hand rest on the small of her back, as if he were afraid she’d slip away otherwise. His hand stayed there, steadying her while he guided her to his car. Rey had mentioned calling an Uber, but Ben’s stormy eyes left no room for an argument, despite the detour he’d have to make to bring her home. When he opened the door to his sleek black sedan for her, Rey brushed against him, grabbed the door to steady herself and as she leaned in closer, she was able to get a whiff of his cologne. Settling into the passenger side, she glanced around curiously while he jogged around the front. The car was pristine, and Rey recognized the faint smell that tickled her nose as the cologne she’d smelled on him a couple of seconds earlier; she could easily get used to basking in that particular smell.

Rey studied his profile during the drive; the prominent, but remarkably straight nose, his full lips, the strong set of his jaw, the five o’clock stubble on his neck and chin, the reflection of the rearview mirror like a mask across his dark brown eyes, the long hair covering his ears. A small sigh escaped her lips. She was so attracted to him, it was getting ridiculous.

Ben briefly glanced over to her. “Are you tired?”

Rey only hummed noncommittally and let her head fall back on the headrest; it had been a long day, and she had to admit not having known who Kylo Ren was had put her under a certain amount of stress. But the attraction she felt for Ben Solo made her nerves tingle and her mind buzz.

“Turn right at the next crossing,” she said. “Then take the first turn on the left. Right there, this is me.” Rey pointed to the small passage that lead to the courtyard where the entrance to her flat / workshop was.

“This one?” Ben slowed to a stop at the curb opposite of the passage, and shifted into park.

“Thank you for the ride.”

“Let me walk you to the door. There’s not enough light for my comfort.” He quickly walked around to the passenger side and opened the door, before Rey could even reach for the handle. She was not used to chivalry, and it made her feel all fuzzy when he extended his hand to help her get out of the car. He didn’t release her hand, but continued to hold it while he walked her across the street and through the dark passageway into the dimly lit courtyard.

“Would you like to come in?” Rey asked him tentatively.

“I’m not sure that would be wise,” he whispered and shuffled on the balls of his feet, his hand still cradling Rey’s. His expression was hard to read in the dark, but Rey thought he looked insecure as he slowly leaned down, while she stepped closer, rose up on her toes,and closed the distance between them. Her eyelids fluttered shut when her lips grazed his, just the barest trace. She kissed him softly, letting her pucker linger on the indentation at the corner of his mouth; kissed him again, basking in his full bottom lip, and the bow in the top, so soft and silky. Painfully slow his lips parted the barest of a fraction and met the next brush of her mouth; and the one after that, until finally his mouth opened, and their tongues touched, their heads slanted for a better angle. A low moan escaped him at the deepening of their kiss.

“You make it hard for me to leave,” he murmured against her lips, when they finally broke apart to get some air.

“Then don’t.”

She had made up her mind. She was probably going to regret it tomorrow, but he had already wormed his way into her heart, and she would regret it just as much and wonder what could have been if she let him leave now. Her free hand grabbed his shirt and pulled him into her more firmly. Ben kissed her again, lazily but controlled.

“Are you sure?” Ben clearly wanted her to set the pace.

Rey raised her eyes to his and nodded, and her left hand dug into her purse for her keys. When she found them and held them up triumphantly, he gently plucked them from her fingers, and guided her a few steps back with his hip, backed her into the door, before he dipped his head to nuzzle at the tender spot behind her ear. Rey let out a whimper when he flicked her earlobe with the tip of his tongue.

“You’ve been driving me crazy all evening,” he murmured into her ear. “Do you know you make the most erotic little gasps when you enjoy something you’re eating?”

“Nu-uh,” his mouth was too distracting to form a more coherent response.

“Well, you do. And oh, the things they made me imagine.”

Rey barely noticed that he’d managed to insert he key into the lock and opened it. He bent his knees slightly, scooped her rear into his palms and dragged her up against his body, and finally his mouth found her lips again. Rey’s arms wound around his neck, partly to support herself, and partly to make sure he didn’t stop kissing her. He didn’t, and she only noticed that he’d stepped into her hall and kicked the door shut, when he put her down and let his hands roam up her sides under her coat, his fingers spanned her ribcage and his thumbs drew small circles only a hair’s breadth away from the underside of her breasts, but never quite touching them. She let go of his neck, and allowed her hands to glide down to his broad chest, before she moved them up again, and pushed his coat over his shoulders.

“Are you sure about this, Rey?” he asked once again.

Rey smiled, nodded and nudged his coat further down his arms, forcing him to remove his hands from her body, which caused a disappointed whine to escape her lips. Ben  shed his coat and haphazardly threw it on her coat rack, before he helped her out of hers, and instantly dove back in for another kiss, one arm wrapped around her waist to hold her flush against him, the other hand cradled her cheek, his thumb brushing along her jawline.

“You feel so good,” he croaked out, and if the hitch in his voice wasn’t a giveaway of just how affected he was, the hard length pressing in to her abdomen surely was.

Rey turned slightly, and walked them backwards towards the door to her room, flicked the switch connected to the floor lamp in the corner which she knew would bath the room in a warm, soft glow, and briefly wondered what he thought about how she lived. She pulled him past the futon sofa to the far end of the room, where a wardrobe and a curtain shielded her bed from prying eyes. Ben’s eyes never strayed from where they were trained on her face in wonder, as if he couldn’t believe she actually wanted him to be here with her.

Once again Rey closed the distance between them first, leaned in and allowed their bodies to touch again, her hands roamed over his torso. She could feel the hard planes of his muscles under his shirt and traced them, feel his hard nipples when her hand brushed over his pectorals. She desperately needed to feel his skin, and started to unbutton his shirt. He let her, his hands resting on her hips, fingers digging into her backside and thumbs lazily drawing circles on her waist. Rey peppered kisses on every inch of his newly exposed skin that she could reach without bending down too awkwardly, letting her tongue flick over his taut nipples. And when the last button was finally undone and the shirt gaped open completely, she let her eyes drink her fill.

He was beautiful, there was no other words to describe him than that. All smooth, alabaster skin over defined muscles; she could even see the outline of his abdominal muscles. Not quite a pronounced six-pack, but sexy nonetheless, especially combined with the happy trail of dark hair leading down from his navel into his trousers, which she traced with her forefinger. Before it could dive under the waistband, he snatched her hand away and lifted it to his mouth, planting a kiss onto the palm of her hand.

“My turn,” he rasped, and spun her around. His fingers reached for the clasp at her neck; it took him a couple of attempts before he managed to unclasp it and could start to pull the metal zipper. The sound of it whirring down its track mingled with the sound of their heavy breathing. Mirroring her earlier explorations, Ben’s let his finger trace down the now exposed skin along her spine, causing shivers to race along her body. He rested his lips below her ear, blew gently on her skin, licked, nipped, skimmed his mouth down the back of her neck, across her bare shoulders, while his hands slid under her dress from behind, and caressed her ribcage. When his hands finally cupped her breasts and his thumbs flicked over her sensitive peaks, she released the breath she couldn’t have helped but hold in anticipation.

“You minx. You aren’t wearing a bra?”

Well, she hadn’t needed. Her breasts were not especially large so they didn’t need the support, and the cut and the thicker cloth of her dress didn’t ask for one.

“Do you have any idea how turned on I am right now? Knowing you sat there all evening without wearing anything under that dress?”

He pulled her back against his body, and she felt his hard length twitch against her lower back.

“Not quite - I am wearing panties after all.”

Ben pushed the dress over her shoulders and Rey wiggled her hips slightly to help its descent down her body, until it pooled at her feet and she gingerly stepped out of it, now wearing nothing but her simple cotton panties and transparent hold-up stockings.

“Look at you, you’re gorgeous.” His voice was raspy, and when Rey turned around to look at him, his eyes were hooded and dark. He gently walked her backwards until her legs hit the bed, then dropped down on his knees and nuzzled his face into her stomach.

“You are awfully overdressed,” Rey murmured, running her hands through his soft hair while he peppered her flat stomach with kisses. She felt his mouth curve into a smile, and he shrugged his shirt off, tossing it carelessly onto the floor. When his hands settled on her torso again, he gently pressed her to sit down at the edge of the bed, so he could reach her breasts with his mouth, and started feasting on them. First he licked them, sending shockwaves straight down to Rey’s core with each flicker of his tongue, then he started sucking at her nipples, alternating between her breasts, having his fingers play with the hardened peak he currently wasn’t sucking.

“Mmmmh,” he groaned. “I could do that all night long.”

And Rey thought she could just let him; and she could probably come just from him playing with her breasts. But Ben didn’t stop there; Rey was so lost in the feelings he evoked while lavishing her breasts, that she nearly jumped when she felt one of his hands brush against the smooth skin on the inside of her thighs.

“Skittish?” he asked while looking up at her. Rey was barely able to shake her head.

“N … No, just surprised.” She gulped. “Why don’t you come up here? I’d love to feel you.”

He raised his head to nip at her neck.

“Patience, Rey. Believe me, you’re going to feel me,” he said, as his fingers shoved the damp material of her panties aside and started to explore her folds. He let the tip of one of his fingers dip into her core and spread the wetness it found there up to her clit.

“Oh!” Rey closed her eyes and let her head fall into her neck. She wanted to touch Ben, let her hands roam over his skin, but right now she needed her arms to keep her steady.

When he stopped the circling around her clit, she whined in protest and looked up, only to see Ben sucking the fingers he just had in her. Her eyes widened, aroused.

“I’d love to really taste you. May I?”

Rey’s breath hitched. She never had someone want to do this to her before. Her sexual experience was rather limited, and none of the boys she had been intimate with had bothered to do that. His warm brown eyes were still resting questioningly on her, his thumbs hooked under the waistband of her panties. When she nodded, a smile spread over his face and he pulled her underwear down over her still stocking-clad legs. He then moved back in between her legs, positioned them on his shoulders, grabbed her backside and hoisted her forward, so her ass was on the edge of the bed – and studied her as if he wanted to commit the sight to memory.

Rey raised her head to look down at him, as he spread her folds with his large fingers, starting to lick up her slit, his eyes on her face. Tiny jolts of pleasure raced through her body as he licked and sucked at her sensitive nub, until she thought she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Uhh… god …” Her hands gripped the sheets, her head fell backwards, and her back arched off the mattress, completely oblivious to the sounds she made. Ben never came up for air, never stopped nipping and sucking, until she fell apart, thighs trembling and clenching around his head, riding out the aftershocks of her orgasm. She dimly became aware of her surroundings again, of Ben’s hands holding her pelvis, thumbs drawing patterns on her skin, his lips peppering kisses to the bare skin above her stockings on the inside of her thighs.

“Come here, hold me,” she mumbled, holding her arms out. When Ben relented and climbed on top of the bed, she moved up so her head could rest on the pillows there. They laid down, facing each other, and Ben drew her flush against him so Rey could feel his straining erection against her lower body. Then they kissed again, tongues rolling. Rey could taste herself on his tongue, a slightly salty tang. She never expected it to be erotic to taste herself, quite the opposite, but kissing Ben made it sexy and arousing. Their hips ground into each other, and Rey enjoyed the feelings of the muscles on his firm ass as they flexed  under her hands. When Rey started to fumble with the button of his pants, he shook his head, took her arms and fixated them over her head with one of his hands.

“Not yet, baby. I’m not finished with you. Not even remotely.”

“I want to feel you inside of me,” Rey all but whined.

“And you will. But I’ve only got one condom on me, and I’ve got to make it count.”

His free hand brushed along the side of her torso, spread over her stomach and finally dipped between her legs. Ben let one finger enter her only  to pull out again at once, spreading the arousal he gathered over her folds. Then two of his fingers dipped back in, curling, his thumb circling her clit. He fucked her with his fingers almost lazily while he watched her intently.

“That’s not what I meant. I want to feel … you. You know. I –“

“Not yet. I still want to see you come.”

“You just did!”

“No, I _made_ you come, but I didn’t get to see your face when you did so. I want to watch your face when you do.”

“You can do that while being inside me … God, don’t stop!”

Rey could already feel the build-up to her next orgasm, the warmth spreading through her body, the climb up towards the peak. It was almost embarrassing how fast she was getting there.

“I won’t, don’t worry. Believe me Rey, once I’m buried in your tight pussy, I won’t be able to watch you. I’ll be lost within seconds. It’s hard enough to concentrate like this.”

His eyes were trained on her face, his fingers curled inside her once again, his thumb circled her clit – and Rey crested, shockwaves spreading through her body, moaning his name.

“That’s it, baby. Come for me.”

“Ben!”

Finally, he let go of her arms and when Rey clumsily but eagerly started to fumble with the button of his pants he didn’t swat her hands away, but reached down to help her, and pushed them down together with his underwear, his hard dick springing free of its confinement. Rey’s eyes widened; she had already felt its length pressed against her body, but seeing it was another matter altogether. She reached out to touch it, to run her fingers along its length, circle the head with her thumb and spread the precum already leaking from its tip. Ben hissed, and stilled her hand, by covering it with his large, shaking one.

“Lend me a hand, will you?” he asked, and ripped open the foil package he had pulled out of the back pocket of his trousers with his teeth. Rey took the condom from him, and slowly rolled it down his considerable length, before she pushed him onto his back and straddled him, letting the tip of his dick  drag though her folds. Now it was her teasing him, and him laying back, watching her through hooded eyes, his hands fisting in the sheets.

Rey hovered above him, teasing her clit with the head of his cock, guiding it along her slit, letting it push in just a little bit before she rose up again in order to lean forward and kiss him wet and sloppy.

“Rey, please!” Ben sounded almost desperate. “Please let me feel you now. I need –“

“What exactly do you need, Ben?” Rey murmured seductively while she kissed a trail along his jaw, dragging his cock back and forth through her folds.

“I need to be inside you. Not just a little bit. All the way. Please,” he panted, hands now resting on her hips, trying to guide her down onto his length.

“Now you want to be inside me?” Rey looked down on him and smiled teasingly.

“Please!” he nodded and licked his lips, eyes pleading with her.

Rey took pity on him and guided him inside, slowly sliding down his shaft, moaning at the delicious stretch.

“Fuck! You feel amazing. So tight!”

Rey steadily rocked on top of him, her hands braced on both sides of his head, her hair falling around them like a curtain. When she dipped down to kiss him, Ben placed one hand between her shoulder blades, held her against him and started to thrust up into her with long, powerful strokes. It was not long before shivers started to race along Rey’s body again, loud moans started to escape her lips, and Ben’s thrusts became more erratic. She wouldn’t have thought it possible for her to climax again, but here she was, walls convulsing, head thrown back, incoherent mumblings drawn from her lips – and Ben followed her down the precipice, his body shaking violently, her name  like a prayer on his lips.

They stayed intertwined for a few moments, foreheads resting against each other, catching their breaths, until Ben rolled her off him with an apologetic smile, and asked her for a tissue and the whereabouts of the trashcan. While he disposed of the used condom, Rey padded into the bathroom and stared long and hard at her reflection after cleaning herself up. What had happened today? She’d set out to get through a blind date with a stranger, had nearly left when she realized who she was supposed to spend the evening with, started to fall for him as he told her about himself over a multi-course meal, and finally had the most amazing sex of her life with him. She was so screwed – literally and figuratively.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she braced herself for the likely scenario of Ben leaving, but she found him sitting on the bed, still as naked as the day he was born, offering her a glass of water. Rey couldn’t prevent a sigh of relief from escaping her lips.

“I’ve set out a spare toothbrush for you,” she said softly, between  sips of water, and Ben thanked her with a kiss to the crown of her head. When he returned to bed and snuggled up to her, spooning her from behind, Rey heard him whisper softly. “I might have bid on a date with you, but I am effectively and utterly yours; sold and at your mercy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to MissCoppelia, who helped to smoothen out the kinks and make this sexy.


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at where Ben and Rey were a year after the charity date auction.

“Ben, we’re going to be late,” Rey giggled, as Ben sidled up to her and tried to undo the clasp of her dress. She attempted to look stern and swatted his hands away.

“I just want to know what you’re wearing underneath,” he defended himself, burying his nose in the crook of her neck, fingers stealthily approaching the clasp again.

“You’ll find out when we return home.”

“But I will be thinking about it all evening. The uncertainty will kill me, surely,” he pouted. Rey turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised. How on earth was she to reconcile the pouting overgrown man-child in front of her with the powerful, case-winning attorney everybody was in awe of both inside the courtroom and out of it? With Ben the saying ' _there are two sides to every coin'_ took on a special meaning, and she was more than happy to be the one to whom he showed his softer, more playful side on a regular basis.

“Ever heard of good things coming to boys who wait?” she smiled and kissed him softly on his lips, her hand playing with the still damp hair at the base of his neck.

“Promise?” his hooded eyes and hands roamed seductively over her back and ass and made it hard for Rey not to give in. But she had promised her friends they would be present at the auction. And besides, she had donated some jewelry pieces, and being present to advertise them was too good an opportunity to miss. So, with a sigh, she reached back to get a hold of his hands and stepped out of his embrace.

“Pinkie promise,” she conceded, hooking the pinkie fingers of their right hands around each other and placing a kiss on them.

“I didn’t feel bra straps,” Ben called after her, as she left the room.

“Ever heard of strapless bras?” she tossed back over her shoulder.

 

When Ben and Rey arrived at the venue for this year’s “Children’s Charity Auction”, they were accosted by reporters and followed to the entrance by photographers, as if it were a red-carpet event. Well, it sort of was, at least for them. As soon as word had gotten out that Ben Solo had been snatched off the market at last year’s Charity Auction – and Luke had made sure to leak that particular information to boost the publicity for this event – the local media had been buzzing. They were still not used to the ‘new Ben Solo’, who appeared at events with his mother, or with a considerable physical distance to all his female companions, except one particular woman – if he appeared at all. It had taken months of persuasion to get Rey to accompany him to such events, and even then, she had mostly taken the back entrance and met Ben inside. Finally Leia  bullied Rey into a double date for the opening of _La Traviata_ at the opera, and forced her to do the ‘whole shebang’ – Leia’s words - with them. Ever since that night, she was being recognized, and had her name mentioned along with Ben’s. Rey still was not used to that level of attention.

Not all mentions have been positive. Someone dragged up her past connection to Unkar Plutt and her participation in his fencing activities was questioned, but it was quickly disregarded due to her age at the time. Still, Snoke tried to force Ben into distancing himself from an alleged criminal, lest he damage his, and their company’s reputation. When Ben realized that Snoke had been the one feeding the media information about Rey’s past, it proved to be last straw in their already strained work relationship. Ben quit working for First Order and opened his own law office - just before First Order went down with some of their seedier clients.

Once they made it inside, Luke had planned a photo op with them in front of the auction’s success story poster, which featured the money raised during last year's auction and a photo of them with a caption about "finding one's Valentine" at the auction. When Ben saw the poster, he rolled his eyes, and never stopped scowling despite the photographer’s best attempts to get him to look friendlier.

“Are you preparing the ground for our breakup,” Rey asked him, half teasingly, half concerned when the photo session was over.

“Huh? Why -“

“Well, when those pictures will get published, everybody will wonder what happened to have you look that grumpy.” She looked at him expectantly, but Ben just stared back at the poster. “Is it because of Luke? Because he – “

“Partly. But it’s more the poster that got me thinking. The wording is bugging me.”

“What now?”

“They call you my girlfriend,” he responded, brows knit together, his hand fisted in the pocket of his suit jacket.

“Because that’s what I am. I get it, at a certain age the term _girlfriend_ or _boyfriend_ sounds a bit too immature, but there are not that many alternatives. If it bugs you, I’ll tell them to use _significant other_ the next time, should they want us for another poster.”

“Hmm … or better yet, fiancée. Or perhaps wife?”

Rey stilled and blinked. Had he just … proposed? She had to clear her throat three times before she managed to react to his words.

“You’re aware that certain requirements must be met before those terms can be applied, are you?”

“Uh – hum.” Ben nodded, and opened his palm. He held a small velvet box out to her.

“Would you consider … I mean it hasn’t even been a year, but I just know that you are _t_ he one for me. I’ve known it since the moment I first laid eyes on you, here at the auction.” Ben stumbled over the words, nervously running his hands through his hair. Ben, the smooth talker, the master of closing arguments, stumbled through his proposal to _her_ , to Rey. She still couldn’t believe just how much this powerful man seemed to want her at his side.

“Please.” His eyes pleaded, his lips rolled as he gulped, and then Rey threw her arms around his neck, laughing happily.

“Of course I want to marry you and be your wife!”

Their foreheads pressed together, and Ben fumbled the ring out of the velvet box and clumsily slid it on Rey’s fourth finger.

“It’s one of my grandmother’s rings. I thought, you being a jewelry designer yourself, it wouldn’t be fitting to buy a ring somewhere else. But you can hardly say no to an heirloom.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Like you.”

And just like that, their lips found each other in a searing kiss, not caring about the curious eyes and cameras clicking around them.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to MissCoppelia for betaing this story for me. You are truly the best!


End file.
